How many books was your seventh grader assigned in seventh grade English?

[Anonymous]

I’m one of the public school parents that the private school parent PPs claim is lying about my own kid’s experience in public school. (Why they are doing that, I do not know or understand). But here is what happened:

When I say my kid was not assigned books to read in 7th grade, I mean exactly that: there were no books assigned during 7th grade English. It was not the case that my kid could pick books on their own for an assigned book report, which I saw someone speculating about. I mean no books were assigned at all. The year was broken down into units, which were things like short story, narrative and speech, poetry, novel, or play. For the poetry unit, poetry was assigned. For the short story unit, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was assigned. For narrative and speech, it was an excerpt of an MLK speech. For the plays and novels, they were excerpts from the play or novel. I think one of the excerpted novels was Esperanza Rising but I might be mixing that with 8th grade English.

It wasn’t the case that there was no reading assigned at all, and I don’t want to leave that impression. There were no full books assigned, but some shorter reading assignments were assigned. I wasn’t very happy about the lack of full books being assigned, FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the public school parents that the private school parent PPs claim is lying about my own kid’s experience in public school. (Why they are doing that, I do not know or understand). But here is what happened:

When I say my kid was not assigned books to read in 7th grade, I mean exactly that: there were no books assigned during 7th grade English. It was not the case that my kid could pick books on their own for an assigned book report, which I saw someone speculating about. I mean no books were assigned at all. The year was broken down into units, which were things like short story, narrative and speech, poetry, novel, or play. For the poetry unit, poetry was assigned. For the short story unit, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was assigned. For narrative and speech, it was an excerpt of an MLK speech. For the plays and novels, they were excerpts from the play or novel. I think one of the excerpted novels was Esperanza Rising but I might be mixing that with 8th grade English.

It wasn’t the case that there was no reading assigned at all, and I don’t want to leave that impression. There were no full books assigned, but some shorter reading assignments were assigned. I wasn’t very happy about the lack of full books being assigned, FWIW.

What you’ve described sounds very typical for public education nowadays. I agree that reading 2-3 full novels should be happening in 7th grade, and would NOT take away from grammar, vocabulary, writing or instruction on how to source information.

[Anonymous]

I remember my son in Catholic school reading The Outsiders, Lord of the Flies, Greek Mythology, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and some poems and short stories (The Tell-Tale Heart, etc). He also had a lot of vocab assignments each week which took forever as well as grammar. He had two books for summer reading which he had to write 5 paragraph essays about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember my son in Catholic school reading The Outsiders, Lord of the Flies, Greek Mythology, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and some poems and short stories (The Tell-Tale Heart, etc). He also had a lot of vocab assignments each week which took forever as well as grammar. He had two books for summer reading which he had to write 5 paragraph essays about.

I think he also read The Little Prince too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the public school parents that the private school parent PPs claim is lying about my own kid’s experience in public school. (Why they are doing that, I do not know or understand). But here is what happened:

When I say my kid was not assigned books to read in 7th grade, I mean exactly that: there were no books assigned during 7th grade English. It was not the case that my kid could pick books on their own for an assigned book report, which I saw someone speculating about. I mean no books were assigned at all. The year was broken down into units, which were things like short story, narrative and speech, poetry, novel, or play. For the poetry unit, poetry was assigned. For the short story unit, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was assigned. For narrative and speech, it was an excerpt of an MLK speech. For the plays and novels, they were excerpts from the play or novel. I think one of the excerpted novels was Esperanza Rising but I might be mixing that with 8th grade English.

It wasn’t the case that there was no reading assigned at all, and I don’t want to leave that impression. There were no full books assigned, but some shorter reading assignments were assigned. I wasn’t very happy about the lack of full books being assigned, FWIW.

Oh, someone toned down the rage and insults but is still looking for validation and hell bent on putting out there that a poster said she is “lying.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ For the record, this is DCUM. The vast majority of the people posting here are privileged.

Maybe the majority is privileged, but I’ve been here a long time and I have seen genuine, heartfelt posts from struggling parents who are far, far from privileged. And so what if a majority are privileged? Does that mean the PPs are right to make their blithe assumptions that everyone posting on DCUM sends their kids to a fancy public middle school in a safe suburb? That parents here don’t struggle with public schools that are in terrible shape? Are those posters so steeped in their wealth that they can’t imagine a seventh grade English class that doesn’t get assigned books? Do they even know what the state of books are in some schools? Your kid can’t read books your school can’t even give everybody copies of, you know. But the gaslighting PPs are so blind, so ignorant that they immediately say that the PPs must be lying.

This thread is the definition of “nice white liberal,” the people who at heart don’t want any change so their kids continue to be advantaged, and so gaslight people who have their kids in failing public schools or who have lived school experiences that they can’t even dream about. It is, as I said, appalling.

You are appalling. My child’s private school in DC has 40% of its student’s paid for with aid from other parents and is nearly half minority. Are you providing any aid to a child who is not yours? I think not.

My God. You are one of the worst people I’ve ever encountered on DCUM and that is saying something.

I don’t think you are worthy of anybody answering your question, and I hope nobody else wastes their time on you, but as one of the PPs who is being gaslit by you in this thread, I will answer your incredibly obnoxious question: No, I’m not as rich as you. That’s why my kid went to a public middle school where they didn’t assign any books to read in 7th grade. Now you tell me, from your safe position in your rich private school life, how I am lying about that. You tell me how you know better than I do what my 7th grader did. You tell me all about how my kid’s experience went in a school that is 40% FARMS and far, far more diverse than your fancy private school. You tell me I’m lying and exaggerating about my own life. You tell me, like you already have on this thread, how people like me in public schools you can’t even imagine are exaggerating or lying. And then, you tell me how you aren’t the textbook definition of a horrifying “nice white liberal.”

Get off your hating on people. You are the worst. If I work and make money, I earned that. You’re not going to shame me for earning a good living. Go to hell.

Answer one question: when I say that my kid had no assigned books to read in 7th grade, do you believe me or not? Yes or no answer, please.

Because my anger is directed at those awful, awful people in this thread who are, from their position of sending their kids to wealthy private schools, telling me that I am exaggerating or lying about what my kid read in 7th grade. Rich people who aren’t telling me what my experience was are fine. I don’t shame anyone who earns money AND who doesn’t gaslight me. But if you are rich and send your kid to a fancy private school like the incredibly obnoxious PP AND, like that PP, you tell me I am lying or exaggerating about my own kid’s experience, then yes, not only will I shame you, I think you deserve to be shamed.

So, who are you? Are you going to believe that people send their kids to public schools where no books are assigned in 7th grade? Or are you not?

You did the exact same thing!!! You made assumptions. Not all children who attend private are wealthy and you know that.

Answer the question asked, please.

You need to understand one thing. I and no one else on here answers to you.

Oh, I know that. But I have my answer anyhow, by your very refusal to answer, because you know how abjectly awful the answer makes you look. You are one of the private school PPs in this thread who are telling public school parents that they are lying about the experiences of their own children in public school. How awful.

Again, I and no one owes you anything as much as you try. Get over your insecurity and needing validation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if I have read this thread correctly, a bunch of private school parents are telling multiple public school parents whose kids went to public schools of varying quality that those parents are lying when they described how their 7th graders weren’t assigned books to read in their various public schools. And then the private school parents started boasting about how much they donate or whatever when they were called on it.

That … is something. Wow.

Stop pretending you are someone new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ For the record, this is DCUM. The vast majority of the people posting here are privileged.

Maybe the majority is privileged, but I’ve been here a long time and I have seen genuine, heartfelt posts from struggling parents who are far, far from privileged. And so what if a majority are privileged? Does that mean the PPs are right to make their blithe assumptions that everyone posting on DCUM sends their kids to a fancy public middle school in a safe suburb? That parents here don’t struggle with public schools that are in terrible shape? Are those posters so steeped in their wealth that they can’t imagine a seventh grade English class that doesn’t get assigned books? Do they even know what the state of books are in some schools? Your kid can’t read books your school can’t even give everybody copies of, you know. But the gaslighting PPs are so blind, so ignorant that they immediately say that the PPs must be lying.

This thread is the definition of “nice white liberal,” the people who at heart don’t want any change so their kids continue to be advantaged, and so gaslight people who have their kids in failing public schools or who have lived school experiences that they can’t even dream about. It is, as I said, appalling.

You are appalling. My child’s private school in DC has 40% of its student’s paid for with aid from other parents and is nearly half minority. Are you providing any aid to a child who is not yours? I think not.

My God. You are one of the worst people I’ve ever encountered on DCUM and that is saying something.

I don’t think you are worthy of anybody answering your question, and I hope nobody else wastes their time on you, but as one of the PPs who is being gaslit by you in this thread, I will answer your incredibly obnoxious question: No, I’m not as rich as you. That’s why my kid went to a public middle school where they didn’t assign any books to read in 7th grade. Now you tell me, from your safe position in your rich private school life, how I am lying about that. You tell me how you know better than I do what my 7th grader did. You tell me all about how my kid’s experience went in a school that is 40% FARMS and far, far more diverse than your fancy private school. You tell me I’m lying and exaggerating about my own life. You tell me, like you already have on this thread, how people like me in public schools you can’t even imagine are exaggerating or lying. And then, you tell me how you aren’t the textbook definition of a horrifying “nice white liberal.”

Get off your hating on people. You are the worst. If I work and make money, I earned that. You’re not going to shame me for earning a good living. Go to hell.

Answer one question: when I say that my kid had no assigned books to read in 7th grade, do you believe me or not? Yes or no answer, please.

Because my anger is directed at those awful, awful people in this thread who are, from their position of sending their kids to wealthy private schools, telling me that I am exaggerating or lying about what my kid read in 7th grade. Rich people who aren’t telling me what my experience was are fine. I don’t shame anyone who earns money AND who doesn’t gaslight me. But if you are rich and send your kid to a fancy private school like the incredibly obnoxious PP AND, like that PP, you tell me I am lying or exaggerating about my own kid’s experience, then yes, not only will I shame you, I think you deserve to be shamed.

So, who are you? Are you going to believe that people send their kids to public schools where no books are assigned in 7th grade? Or are you not?

You did the exact same thing!!! You made assumptions. Not all children who attend private are wealthy and you know that.

Answer the question asked, please.

You need to understand one thing. I and no one else on here answers to you.

Oh, I know that. But I have my answer anyhow, by your very refusal to answer, because you know how abjectly awful the answer makes you look. You are one of the private school PPs in this thread who are telling public school parents that they are lying about the experiences of their own children in public school. How awful.

If you know that, you wouldn’t keep asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it unbelievable that people are refusing to believe there are 7th grade English public school classes where books aren’t assigned. Do you people know literally anything about educational inequality? Are you all that blind? This thread is mind-blowing in the ignorance shown.

There is reading done. Short stories, excerpts, etc. Stop with your scare tactic and deceitfulness.

Short stories and excerpts are not books. Stop trying to hide glaring educational inequality.

Buck up buttercup, there will always be inequality. Other school districts are not immune to that.
You are trying to paint a picture that there is no reading, which is not true at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the first homeschool respondent but agree the recent list is great and have read several of these as well. Wanted to jump in and say that for the graphic novel versions of The Odyssey and The Iliad, my oldest really enjoyed the ones one by local artist Gareth Hinds. They are in our library system and so well done for middle grades and up, depending on your sensitivities.

Re: how to get it all done ... homeschoolers often have more time in the day in that there isn't a lot of wasted time shuffling here and there to/from school or between classes (and when shuttling to activities, we often have book time in the car or audiobooks). Those are strategies everyone can do. That said, my kiddos also know how to work in lots of (unplanned) breaks throughout the day

Re: what to do with the reading. Middle schooler = assigned literature books with a persuasive writing assignment every 3 weeks (mostly 5 paragraphs, sometimes more). Kid is reading a new book while writing on the one read before. Other books might be captured in a short journal summary with illustration. Others just read for interest / enjoyment. Any of them might be followed by deliberate discussion or incidental conversation. Some may never be discussed.

Younger student participates in a book club, and those are usually read aloud and separate from assigned reading. Plus, I feel like an audiobook is almost always playing during free time. Tricky if you like a quiet house

This is just our literature component (grammar is separate), but there are lots of opportunities to cross-pollinate so that readings cover history / science / biography, etc. as well.

Thank you. Do you have a favorite home schooling group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the public school parents that the private school parent PPs claim is lying about my own kid’s experience in public school. (Why they are doing that, I do not know or understand). But here is what happened:

When I say my kid was not assigned books to read in 7th grade, I mean exactly that: there were no books assigned during 7th grade English. It was not the case that my kid could pick books on their own for an assigned book report, which I saw someone speculating about. I mean no books were assigned at all. The year was broken down into units, which were things like short story, narrative and speech, poetry, novel, or play. For the poetry unit, poetry was assigned. For the short story unit, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was assigned. For narrative and speech, it was an excerpt of an MLK speech. For the plays and novels, they were excerpts from the play or novel. I think one of the excerpted novels was Esperanza Rising but I might be mixing that with 8th grade English.

It wasn’t the case that there was no reading assigned at all, and I don’t want to leave that impression. There were no full books assigned, but some shorter reading assignments were assigned. I wasn’t very happy about the lack of full books being assigned, FWIW.

You have attempted to give the impression that there is no reading but this is your first post stating that there is reading that your child is getting at school. This is why you were challenged I believe as parents knew this was very doubtful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind that English class in middle school is not a literature class. Some literature is a part of it, but 7th grade ELA is big on grammar, expanding vocabulary, developing structured writing skills, research skills and source evaluations, and exploring many genres of writing to broaden the typical teen diet of chapter books.

Assuming this is true it’s a perfect explanation for the lack of books. It’s like complaining that your child didn’t dissect any frogs in chemistry class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the public school parents that the private school parent PPs claim is lying about my own kid’s experience in public school. (Why they are doing that, I do not know or understand). But here is what happened:

When I say my kid was not assigned books to read in 7th grade, I mean exactly that: there were no books assigned during 7th grade English. It was not the case that my kid could pick books on their own for an assigned book report, which I saw someone speculating about. I mean no books were assigned at all. The year was broken down into units, which were things like short story, narrative and speech, poetry, novel, or play. For the poetry unit, poetry was assigned. For the short story unit, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was assigned. For narrative and speech, it was an excerpt of an MLK speech. For the plays and novels, they were excerpts from the play or novel. I think one of the excerpted novels was Esperanza Rising but I might be mixing that with 8th grade English.

It wasn’t the case that there was no reading assigned at all, and I don’t want to leave that impression. There were no full books assigned, but some shorter reading assignments were assigned. I wasn’t very happy about the lack of full books being assigned, FWIW.

You have attempted to give the impression that there is no reading but this is your first post stating that there is reading that your child is getting at school. This is why you were challenged I believe as parents knew this was very doubtful.

Lol love the backtracking.

Private school parents really come across badly in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None for my FCPS honor's English kid

Are you saying that your kid did not read any books for their English class? What middle school? I find this very hard to believe. At Rocky Run MS, my son's class all read Peak and Refugee, and then they each choose 3 more books from a list of 6 and were grouped accordingly. (My son selected The Book Thief, The Crossover, and The Outsiders.)

It’s just not true. There are multiple exaggerations from few posters here to make public a look bad and I’m a private school parent.

For the record, here’s just one post from the obnoxious tutor and private school parent where she says that a parent who said that her public school kid wasn’t assigned books was not telling the truth. I realize she and her private school buddies in this thread are trying desperately to backtrack because of how bad they look, but the posts are there for all of us to read, like this one.

[Anonymous]

My dd is in a 7th grade bilingual spanish program public.

On her own she recently read
A raisin in the sun
Lovely bones
Dark half - stephen king

We have tons of books at home and I encourage the kids to read anything.


She reads other books at school but im not sure what they are.